Day 11 started with shouting in the supply lane.
Not fence shouting. Not zombie shouting.
Human shouting.
Two soldiers were arguing with a young woman near a stack of crates.
"You can't keep taking it!" one soldier yelled.
"I'm not taking it," the young woman snapped back. "I'm moving it so you don't lose it!"
The second soldier shoved closer. "You think you're smart because you awakened?"
The woman's hands clenched. "I think I'm smart because you're idiots," she said.
Bai Ling, walking behind Lan Huan, muttered, "I like her."
Feng Yue, new to the group, looked over once and said, "That's Mu Yin."
Luo Yan's heart kicked.
Mu Yin. Storage.
His system chimed, private.
Ding.
DAY 11 MAIN MISSION: RECRUIT "MU YIN"
Time Limit: 72:00:00
Objective: Recruit a second storage user for team logistics
Reward: Storage Capacity +15%
Reward: Preservation Efficiency +1
Reward: Recipe Template: CLEAN WATER BROTH (Basic)
Luo Yan swallowed.
Lan Huan didn't know any of that. He just saw the situation and hated it.
He walked up.
The soldiers stiffened when they noticed his insignia.
"General," one said.
Lan Huan didn't greet them. "What's happening," he said.
The soldier pointed at the woman. "She's stealing," he said.
The woman—Mu Yin—glared. "I'm not," she said. "Your crates are stacked wrong. You're leaving meds in the open. Rain ruins them. I moved them inside."
The soldier barked, "You moved them where?"
Mu Yin crossed her arms. "Safe," she said.
The soldier's face twisted. "Where is 'safe'?"
Mu Yin's eyes flashed. "If I tell you, you'll go ruin it."
Feng Yue stepped closer, calm. "She's a storage awakened," Feng Yue said. "Not a thief."
Both soldiers looked confused.
Lan Huan's eyes narrowed. "Storage," he repeated.
He Chenyu was with them today. He went still.
Mu Yin's gaze snapped to He Chenyu. She stared at him hard for one beat. "You too," she said.
He Chenyu's mouth tightened. "Yes."
Mu Yin let out a short laugh. "Great," she said. "Now there's two of us to get blamed."
Lan Huan looked at the soldiers. "Leave," he said.
One soldier hesitated. "General, she—"
"Leave," Lan Huan repeated.
They left, muttering.
Mu Yin watched them go, jaw tight. Then she looked back at Lan Huan.
"So," she said. "Are you here to 'recruit' me too?"
Bai Ling said, "He recruits everyone. It's annoying."
Lan Huan ignored Bai Ling. "Name," he said.
Mu Yin didn't answer right away. Then she said, "Mu Yin."
Lan Huan nodded once. "Come with me," he said.
Mu Yin's eyes narrowed. "Why," she said, "so your unit can use me for hauling?"
Lan Huan didn't lie. "Yes," he said. "And so nobody else can."
Mu Yin's mouth twisted. "That's honest," she said. "I hate it."
Feng Yue spoke, cool. "If you stay in supply lane, they'll work you until you collapse," she said. "Or they'll lock you up to stop you from 'stealing.'"
Mu Yin glanced at Feng Yue. "You're the paper girl," she said.
Feng Yue didn't deny it.
Mu Yin's eyes moved to Luo Yan. "And you're Void," she said.
Luo Yan's throat tightened. "Yes."
Mu Yin stared at him. "I saw you at the gate on Day 5," she said. "You blocked a bite."
Luo Yan's stomach dropped. Too many people had seen.
Mu Yin continued, voice lower. "People are talking," she said. "They say you're lucky."
Bai Ling scoffed. "He's not lucky. He's just stubborn."
Mu Yin looked back at Lan Huan. "If I join," she said, "I want a rule."
Lan Huan's eyes stayed steady. "Say it."
Mu Yin spoke fast, clear. "No one touches my storage without permission. Not even you."
He Chenyu's mouth twitched, almost approving.
Lan Huan nodded once. "Agreed."
Mu Yin's shoulders lowered a fraction.
She looked at He Chenyu. "And you," she said. "If you're storage too, don't mess with my system."
He Chenyu stared. "Your system?"
Mu Yin rolled her eyes. "My storage," she corrected. "My space. Whatever you call it."
He Chenyu's face stayed flat. "I don't steal," he said.
Mu Yin snorted. "Good."
Lu Ziming leaned in and whispered to Qin Yi, "She's kind of cute when she's mad."
Qin Yi whispered back, "Stop flirting at strangers."
Lu Ziming grinned. "No."
Qin Yi sighed. "I'm going to die."
Mu Yin glanced at them. "Are they always like this?"
Bai Ling said, "Yes. It's a disease."
Mu Yin made a small sound that might have been a laugh.
Then she nodded once. "Fine," she said. "I'm joining. But if I get treated like a pack mule, I leave."
Lan Huan's voice was flat. "If you leave, you die alone," he said.
Mu Yin's eyes flashed. "Threat?"
Lan Huan shook his head once. "Fact."
Mu Yin held his gaze, then looked away first. "Fine," she said again. "Fact accepted."
Luo Yan's system chimed in his head.
Ding.
MISSION COMPLETE: MU YIN RECRUITED (5/10)
Reward: Storage Capacity +15%
Reward: Preservation Efficiency +1
Reward: Recipe Template - CLEAN WATER BROTH (Basic)
As they turned away from the supply lane, a loud crash sounded from the far side of the base.
Then screaming.
Then the gate horn, again, long and sharp.
Lan Huan's eyes went hard.
"Zhou," He Li said quietly.
And Feng Yue, calm as always, said, "He doesn't push every day."
She looked at Lan Huan. "He pushes when you're tired."